Eco watch | Conservation dilemmas: Wildlife vs human habitats
India sees growing clashes between conservation, livelihoods, religion and development in protected ecological zones.
In Maharashtra, the proposed exclusion of 17 villages from the ambit of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve plan has revived a sharp debate. The move, pitched as a way to address local livelihood and relocation concerns, has triggered alarm among conservationists, who argue that it risks undermining the ecological integrity of the region. The area in question is part of a crucial wildlife corridor that allows tigers and other species to move between forest patches in the Western Ghats. Fragmenting this landscape, experts warn, could isolate populations, increase human-wildlife conflict, and open the door to mining and other activity in previously protected zones. The episode illustrates a recurring dilemma in conservation policy—addressing the needs of human settlements that, paradoxically, are themselves endangered by the very wildlife they must co-exist with.
In Maharashtra, the proposed exclusion of 17 villages from the ambit of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve plan has revived a sharp debate. The move, pitched as a way to address local livelihood and relocation concerns, has triggered alarm among conservationists, who argue that it risks undermining the ecological integrity of the region. The area in question is part of a crucial wildlife corridor that allows tigers and other species to move between forest patches in the Western Ghats. Fragmenting this landscape, experts warn, could isolate populations, increase human-wildlife conflict, and open the door to mining and other activity in previously protected zones. The episode illustrates a recurring dilemma in conservation policy—addressing the needs of human settlements that, paradoxically, are themselves endangered by the very wildlife they must co-exist with.
In a related matter, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of illegal sand mining in the Chambal Sanctuary, a protected riverine stretch spanning Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, noting that it is degrading fragile river habitats critical for endangered species such as gharials and Gangetic dolphins. It has also sought responses from the three state governments, signalling concern over persistent enforcement failures.
In Gujarat, a different kind of contest is unfolding around the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Junagadh district. Religious groups like the Girnar Sanrakshan Samiti want the scrapping of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) surrounding the sanctuary, which is home to 54 lions. The Girnar hills host four major pilgrimage sites that attract heavy pilgrim footfalls.
